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Why I Went (mostly) Hormone and Paraben Free For My PCOs and Hormone Imbalances

This is something I’ve thought about writing about for awhile now because I think it’s important. If you haven’t noticed pretty much every makeup or skin care product review I do is paraben free. There’s a reason for that. I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, PCOs, which is an endocrine system disorder that causes a host of issues. These issue can be different for each woman but usually are: enlarged ovaries, cysts on the ovaries, problems with fertility, infrequent or prolonged menstrual cycles, excessive facial hair, acne and obesity. There is no known cause or cure. PCOs also messes with your hormone levels and generally makes you produce too much testosterone, which can lead to the facial hair, acne, and irregular cycles.

I never had issues with any of this until I started and then stopped the birth control pill. Every doctor will tell you that the birth control pill can not cause these problems. I am not a doctor and I’m aware that they’re smarter than I am but I do know my body. I’m not advising you not to take the pill, just to do your research and be mindful of it. This is a good, but short, article about pill-induced PCOs.

Now that all that is out of the way I can get to the point of why I went paraben free and try to eat organic and hormone free as much as possible. Parabens are in the majority of makeup, soaps, lotion, etc. They are used to extend the shelf life and prevent bacterial spoilage. Research shows that parabens can disrupt hormones, affect fertility health and possibly lead to cancer (I believe you would have to have a lot of parabens to make any significant impact on your cancer risk). A few of the studies on parabens have found a diminished ovarian reserve in women, decreased sperm count in rats, the worsening of eczema and research in the United Kingdom showed six different types of parabens in breast cancer tumors. I basically try to eat organic, hormone free food for the same reasons. The chemicals sprayed onto our fruits and veggies and the hormones in our animal products can lead to hormone disruptions in our bodies. I know for me personally when I totally cut out dairy milk and cut back on other dairy products my acne cleared significantly. Dairy “clogs” up the system. I’m not saying be vegetarian or go vegan, just be mindful of what goes into and on your body.

I will say again I’m not a doctor. I’m also not a nutritionist. All of this is based on my own research and my own body. It’s important for you to have a good doctor and do your own research if you think you may have PCOs or if you’re interested in learning about going paraben free or hormone free/organic. I have links all throughout this to where I get my information. The great news is it’s not hard to find paraben free makeup, hair and skin care products. They’re at Wal-Mart, Target and every other retail store. They are usually the same price, if not cheaper, than products with parabens. Of course, you can always check here for the most budget friendly options. Going organic/hormone free can be a bit more pricey. Not everything I eat is organic for that reason but there is ways to save. Aldi’s grocery store has some of the best prices on organic items I’ve ever seen and the Wal-Mart Organic Great Value brand is usually very affordable as well.

I hope I covered everything and that this was helpful. If you have any questions I’ll try to answer them the best that I can. I’m still working to get my PCO’s under control. My menstrual cycle is normal but it wasn’t for a long time. I also still suffer with acne, facial hair, infertility and raised testosterone levels. So obviously I don’t have it all figured out but I’m working on it. If you have PCOs let me know what you do to manage it. Thank you for reading and have a great day!

*I can’t give credit for the photo because I found it randomly but I did not take it.